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2016 Château Haut Batailley

"This is an outstanding Haut-Batailley.  94 points."  Neal Martin, Vinous

You might be wondering why 2016 Château Haut-Batailley has only just been released on an autumnal day in September 2022.  The reason is that the launch of this outstanding vintage from a Pauillac Fifth Growth was a casualty of the sale of the château, by the Borie family to the Cazes family, who took ownership in 2017.   

Happily, this means the 2016 is now released, six years after the grapes were harvested, having been stored in perfect conditions in Bordeaux.  Neal Martin's praise is echoed by James Suckling and Jancis Robinson, all three critics pointing out its classic Pauillac attributes...fine, polished tannins, dark fruits and pencil-lead aromas.  At a blind tasting seminar a few years ago we got a mild telling off for mistaking Haut-Batailley for Lynch-Bages, but now we feel vindicated, as Haut-Batailley begins to realise its full potential. 

Ready to enjoy shortly after landing and offered at or below the price of more recent releases, the 2016 is presented with a unique label, reflecting a vintage made 'between the two families (i.e. the Bories and the Cazes), which may also add to the collectibility of this new release in years to come.

Please simply email us if you would like to order.

Offered en primeur, landing spring 2023.

 

Château Haut-Batailley, Cru Classé Pauillac

Producer Profile

Château Haut-Batailley, Cru Classé Pauillac

Château Haut-Batailley is a Cinquièmes Cru Classé in Pauillac, owned since 2017 by the Cazes family, who also own Lynch-Bages.  Originally part of the Batailley estate, it became a separate property in the 1940s, under the ownership of the Borie family. 

The 41-hectare vineyard is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 35 Cabernet Franc, on deep Garonne gravel.  19 hectares of this have recently been added by the Cazes family, land with planting rights within AOC Pauillac that had not been planted since Phylloxera.  As you would expect in the era of micro-viticulture, the new vines were planted after an extensive study of the terroir.  These vineyards will come on stream over the next few years, as new plantings mature. 

The estate is split in two parts, with part of the vineyard close to Latour and another parcel on the Bages plateau, close to Lynch-Bages.  The style here has historically tended toward elegance, but recent vintages have shown more concentration and power.

 

RED 2016 20 cases Château Haut Batailley 75cl £420 per case of 12 Château Haut Batailley
2016 / 20 cases / 75cl
£420 per case of 12
IB
Tasting Notes"Made by Borie and bottled by Cazes (ownership of this property transferred from the Borie family to the Cazes family in 2017). Never released en primeur. Tasted blind...Smooth and very polished. Drawing-room wine. Polished to within an inch of its life – very effectively! Attractive stuff for relatively early drinking. 17.5 points." Jancis Robinson------"The blackcurrants and blueberries with violets on the nose are fascinating. Full-bodied and very tightly wound with gorgeous tannins and a linear and bright finish. Needs two to four years to come together. Try after 2023. 94 points." James Suckling------"The 2016 Haut-Batailley...has an airy and well-defined bouquet of blackberry, graphite and subtle floral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and very classic in style, displaying impressive grip. I appreciate the substance toward the finish, and the pencil lead lingering on the aftertaste. This is an outstanding Haut-Batailley. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Drinking window 2022-2042. 94 points." Neal Martin, Vinous

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